Thursday, May 9, 2013
Two former firefighters and a police officer could return to light duty as a result of the agreement.
Baltimore County officials said Thursday that they have settled three disability lawsuits with two firefighters and a police officer. "These settlements honor these employees for their past service while also ensuring that firefighters and police officers who serve the residents of Baltimore County are working in jobs that match their physical abilities for the safety of all," wrote Baltimore County Attorney Michael Field in a statement on the county's blog Thursday. "Residents of Baltimore County demand no less than this." As part of the settlement, the county does not admit any liability. In September, firefighters Donald Becker and Stanley Kuklinski and police Lt. Michael Lauenstein field lawsuits seeking $2.3 million in damages and …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
A attorney for Baltimore County, in an email, writes that federal agencies have unjustly "hounded and harassed" the county.
Baltimore County officials believe a recent spate of federal investigations that have gone against the county is driven by bias rather than evidence. The claims are part of an email written by Paul Mayhew, an assistant Baltimore County attorney. The message was sent to a private list of other county government litigators in Maryland. The Maryland State Bar Association manages the list. "For the last five years or so we have been hounded and harassed by the EEOC and the DOJ," Mayhew wrote in the April 4 email. [A copy of the email is attached to this story.] Baltimore County Attorney Michael Field confirmed that the email, obtained by Patch from a source who requested anonymity, was authentic. "We don't feel like we get anything close to a …
Thursday, December 20, 2012
A lawsuit filed on behalf of a county employee seeks more than $2 million for each of four alleged violations.
A 71-year-old man who claims the county forced him into retirement has filed suit in federal court alleging age discrimination and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. William Galanti, a 30-year employee of the county's highways bureau, filed the claim this week in U.S. District Court in Baltimore. The four-count suit alleges one count of age discrimination as well as being forced to submit to illegal medical exams, harassment and illegal discharge. The suit sees more than $2 million plus interest and attorney's fees for each of the four counts. "Mr. Galanti is a fabulous gentleman who for over three decades did hard work for the county and the community plowing snow and digging ditches," said Kathleen Cahill, an attorney …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
A state delegate criticizes the county for expenses of a lawsuit filed by a William Blake, a Baltimore County Police officer, that amount to more than $750,000.
UPDATED (5:46 p.m.)—Baltimore County now knows the price tag for losing a lawsuit involving a police detective who was ordered to undergo unlawful medical examinations and tests. U.S. District Court Judge Benson Everett Legg ordered the county to pay $494,243.00 attorney fees and $17,716.00 court costs in the case of William Blake. "The significant fee award reflects the serious nature of the case as well as the diligence of counsel," Legg wrote in his decision. "While the total cost to the County is high, there is a silver lining, however. This case may ultimately avoid future litigation by providing guidance with respect to fitness-for-duty examinations." The county has lost a number of similar cases in the last two years. Most recently…
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Three cases filed Wednesday come a month after the county settled ten claims in a Department of Justice lawsuit.
County officials said three new disability lawsuits filed in federal court are without merit and that its policies on requiring medical testing for some employees will be vindicated. In a rare comment on pending litigation, Don Mohler, a county spokesman, said the county has done nothing wrong and he believes the county will ultimately win all three cases. "We don't think these lawsuits have any merit," said Mohler. "We stand by the county's policies and procedures. We don't think that we've done anything wrong and we'll make that case again." Firefighters Donald Becker and Stanley Kuklinski and police Lt. Michael Lauenstein are each seeking $2.3 million in damages and additional legal fees. All three claim they were forced to undergo …
Steve
12:18 pm on Monday, May 13, 2013
You stalked this guy for more than a year??? He ought to get a restraining order. more ›